Which Premier League club represents the ideal transfer move?

As a Crystal Palace supporter there are few greater pleasures than watching the club’s plethora of academy starlets flaunt their potential on the Selhurst Park stage. The latest name to grace this illustrious list is Wilfried Zaha, a mesmerising 19-year-old blessed with the pace, tenacity and portfolio of tricks that has planted numerous Championship defenders on their backside.

The cries of “he’s just too good for you” greet his every performance but there is an inevitable feeling that soon, he will be too good for us. The swarm of potential top-flight suitors grows by the day, but which club would actually represent a positive step-up for the England U’21 international?

First of all I feel the need to eliminate both Manchester clubs, despite the fact they comfortably possess the financial wealth needed to meet his rapidly increasing transfer value.

At United, the youthful Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez still have their best years ahead of them and the arrival of Robin van Persie has drastically reduced their first-team opportunities. Sir Alex Ferguson also has the recent purchases of Angelo Henriquez and Nick Powell waiting patiently on the sidelines should the team endure an injury crisis at the other end of the pitch.

More:

Roberto Mancini has four world-class strikers vying for a place in his starting XI as well as John Guidetti, who is already being compared to the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Citizens have also recently acquired former Swansea favourite Scott Sinclair, a player who shares a number of the same attacking traits as young Zaha.

The most realistic and perhaps desired destination appears to be with Arsenal. Now I am no detective, but the tweets “Omgggg love it #Arsenal” and “YEESSSSSSSSS! (Y)” that popped up on Zaha’s timeline during the comeback against Reading would appear to suggest a certain affinity towards the Gunners. However, I cannot see how a move to North London would be beneficial to his career.

There is no denying that Arsene Wenger has a wealth of knowledge and a history of rearing some of the beautiful game’s finest young talents. But the current saga surrounding Theo Walcott should provide all the evidence needed to deter Zaha. Like Walcott, Zaha is a winger-turned-striker who is unlikely to fit the bill as Wenger’s preferred robust and solitary target man.

At present there doesn’t seem to be room in Arsenal’s strike force for one, let alone two gifted speed merchants and even if Zaha decides to revert to his former role as a winger then he will have to compete with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the rapidly improving Serge Gnabry and Ryo Miyaichi. Some would call this healthy competition; I would say its career suicide.

As much as it pains me to say so, I believe the best option for Zaha could lie in the red half of Merseyside. Brendan Rodgers has already conveyed his faith in the adolescent members of his squad and it’s fair to say that there is a vacancy in the Red’s existing strike force. The new playing style currently being implemented would present a fantastic new chapter in his development and the prospect of Raheem Sterling and Zaha flanking Luis Suarez is giving me involuntary goosebumps.

Newcastle have sent Peter Beardsley to watch our young starlet on a number occasions, including – much to my delight – a fixture when he wasn’t even playing, but I doubt they have the financial clout to compete with the big boys, especially if they are reserving funds to execute a rescue mission for Andy Carroll.

Tottenham will always be linked with the latest product from the Palace production line despite their uncanny ability to stifle emerging talent (see Wayne Routledge and John Bostock). Chairman Daniel Levy will view Zaha as an attractive investment, but he’s unlikely to be able to wave his magic bargaining wand on this occasion.

I would implore Zaha to copy the career path of the recently departed Nathaniel Clyne. The promising full-back ignored potential interest from a number of big teams and instead decided to sign for Premier League newcomers Southampton. His decision to move to the South Coast will mean he is guaranteed a prominent role in the senior squad, in a team that plays a seductive brand of football. If Zaha could emulate such a move, at say Swansea, then he could develop further as player and earn his big move, much in the same manner as Victor Moses.

Fans, journalists and even porky comedians have been climbing over one another to announce that Zaha isn’t worth the £20m price tag he’s been bestowed with. I will happily agree, in the same way that Jordan Henderson isn’t worth the same amount and Andy Carroll isn’t the equivalent of three and a half Papiss Cisses. The fact is, transfer fees are dictated by how much the player is worth to their particular football club and in this case Zaha could make all the difference be securing promotion. I think that means he’s worth £60m…

Dougie Freedman’s departure has thrown Zaha’s future into a state of jeopardy, considering the Scot has been influential in his upbringing so far. However, chairman Steve Parish has repeatedly reiterated his “special talent” is not for sale, especially with the club trying to establish itself as an attractive option for a new manager.

Zaha is destined for the top, his superb brace against Wolves last month is testament ability to win games all on his own. I remain optimistic if a little unconvinced that Palace can mount a serious playoff charge this year. However, the message is clear, if you want to secure his signature, you had better offer a significant number of zeros.

Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I am anxiously awaiting the possible arrival of Ian Holloway

What do you think?

Sign in with Facebook and beentered for a chance toWin a pair of Puma evoPOWER football bootsTerms and Conditions

Why?

Sign up in 2 seconds

Use your FB profile image

No need to remember a password

See which of your friends would like this

Note: We don't post to your wall

Login

Username

Password

Comment without logging in

You will need to fill this out each time to comment so why not quickly login with Facebook!

Name*

Email* (will not be displayed)

What do you think?

Sign in with Facebook and beentered for a chance toWin a pair of Puma evoPOWER football bootsTerms and Conditions

Why login with Facebook?

Sign up in 2 seconds

Use your FB profile image

No need to remember a password

See which of your friends would like this

Note: We don't post to your wall

Antispam (required): Please fill in 4itRTqf

ERIC SPURS
2 years ago

Top quality young player and a great future ahead if he makes the right move. I myself would like to see him at spurs but with the likes of Bale Lennon Townsend Sig and Dempsey i cant say we would see him getting alot of game time Liverpool would be a decent move but cant see them spending 20 mil to get him but he defo needs to make the step up to the big leagues and as for wot this article says about Routledge and Bostock the fact is neither has cut it in the prem and spurs aint the only team to see it in Routledge Bostock has been given plenty of chances in europe and the cups but has never shown up the potenial he had when we bought him COYS

Mike "Wheels" Robinson
2 years ago

I would like to see Zaha stay until at least the end of this season as we are in a strong position and could get promoted via the Play Offs or even automatic, although that is unlikely.
If we do sell him, which would have to be at least £10m plus some very attractive add ons, then I’d hope he would be loaned back to us until the end of the season.
It would give him playing time at a good club and help his development for whichever team buys him. Also meaning he could still help us get promoted and we get a decent transfer sum as well.
Of course I would love to actually keep our young star and see him play for us in the Premier League.
I am honestly not sure if he is as good as a lot of people are suggesting, he is still very raw however his potential is phenomenal.
Love watching him play and hope to see him at Palace for a while, but we shall see!!!
P.S. Drogba stop trying to steal back Zaha, England want him for the future…..maybe!!!!

jimmy
2 years ago

dear me you call yr a palace fan you remain unconvinced we can mount a paly off challenge are you on drugs mate meet me at the back of the holmsdale i’ll explain why were the best team in this league and how i,m convince we’ll win it. but on behalf of all palace ty for writing this piece of rubbish mate